A TV programme on World War I said that it would take seven days to march all of Britain’s casualties from the war past London’s war monument, The Cenotaph. This shocking image set my mind spinning. Wars always come at a huge cost.

When Christians go to war with one another, the cost is also high. When we’re busy trying to get our own way, we end up fighting with friends, family and churches. That in itself is a big cost as our relationships get damaged. But it’s not the only cost.

When we fight with others, we forget that the world is watching. The non-Christians we know may well be building up a picture of who God is through how we live, act and speak. What will our fighting and arguing show them?

Maybe that’s why James wrote: “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (3:18). If we want to show Jesus to those we know, we need to stop fighting and offer peace instead.

By: Bill Crowde

To Pray About . . .

Lord, help me be a peacemaker amongst everyone.